Dana Gioia Books

This review refers to the 6th Edition. I read this book as a refresher of the basics and found it very helpful. I especially value the simple, easy to understand definitions of the Literary Elements and the examples that accompany them.

It would be nice if we can search inside the latest edition because first thing I'd like to check is the Table of Contents and if it reflects the expansion of the literary canon. More women, people of color and writers from other cultures please.

This book has a great collection of stories and profound themes. One way to use this book is to pair up the stories. For example, one can look at "The Misfit's Misguided Quest for Love" by studying "Bartleby" by Melville and "The Overcoat" by Gogol.

Another good pairing is to study "Lost Love and Alcohol" by looking at "Babylon Revisted" by Fitzgerald and "The Swimmer" by John Cheever. In both stories the characters lose free will as their self-destructiveness reaches a point of no return.

The power of empathy to remove blindness can be found by looking at Raymond Carver's "A Small, Good Thing" and "Cathedral." Another great story about the power of empathy is Richard Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues."

Also take a look at "Gimpel the Fool" by Singer and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" to study the love and widsom of fools.

The dangers of intellectual pride are dramatized in Flanner O'Conner's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown."

Yet another fine pairing can be found by studying the conflict between romantic, personal love and public responsibility in Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog" and John Updike's "Separating."

One of my favorite pairings is to study "The Love of the Tribe over the Love of Humanity" by studying "Those Who Walked Away from Omelas" and "The Lottery."

There are even far more stories than the ones I've mentioned. But these pairings give you an idea of how many themes you can study in a collection as rich as this one.

In this case, it's a remarkable dramatic poem, in which good vs. evil, light vs. darkness, need vs. greed and all the other Big Fights come evocatively wrapped in a vampire's cape. Despite the grand scale of the tragedy and the Gothic settting, or maybe because of it, you will find yourself identifying with the cursed and gifted heroine, her doomed goof of a husband, and the desperately lonely Orlock. The language is straight-forward and precise. How long will it take the Anne Rice crowd to find the anthems waiting between the covers of this undiscovered masterpiece?

Finally, a collection of Mark Todd's poetry has been published! I first read his works in the classic collection of Colorado western slope poetry titled "Geography of Hope." Ever since, I have hoped for a full-length collection. It has finally arrived and what a collection it is. Todd lives among the incomparable landscape of the Colorado Rockies near Gunnison, Colorado. He writes in a manner that chronicles and respects the geographical region while at the same time his verse is so powerful that he transcends region and speaks to the heart regardless of where you live. His pose "The Doyleville Schoolhouse" is one of my favorites. His reminiscences of the old schoolhouse and it's importance to the farmers and ranchers is a reminder that "Some traditions run deeper than concrete." In fact, "the where can sometimes tell us who we are." The poem titled "Passages" will give the reader a flavor for his observations of the land he calls home: "These back-road passages still guide the lost wanderers, No matter the distance of the journey called home." The book contains forty-one poems dealing with the weather, friends, animals, family, tragedy, humor, the land and a host of other subjects related to "...the country here-abouts..." that portrays the reality of a landscape that will speak to the reader where ever they reside. Wallace Stegner said "No place is a place until it has had a poet." With this publication of Wire Song the western slope of Colorado, indeed the entire state, has a first rate poet. Conundrum Press continues their high standards with this book.

Much to like in this book; despite a lot of dreary examples of ancient poets writing drearily about dreary topics, there's actually a very good selection of vigorous, interesting stuff from the modern era. I can highly recommend the book as a whole, but do pity the beginning student trying to wade through the dry-as-dust academic treatment of some topics and poets. Despite the impeccable credentials and good intentions of the editors, they pick 'way too many pre-20th century poets whose intellectual milieu is totally lame, man, and they too often "academize" and make dull what could be lively, fresh, and compelling. I'd hope that X.J. and Dana would think hard about what it's like for a college freshman to be confronted with turgid, overly-long, and frankly unimaginative essays such as the one that launches this volume: "Reading a Poem," instead of sparking some real interest through any of thousands of current-day examples that might really hook post-literate teenagers, drags out a piece of road-kill by W.B. Yeats (Lake Isle of Innisfree), follows with a museum-piece by D.H. Lawrence, and then astoundingly unearths a bland piece by 22-year-old Adrienne Rich (written before she learned how to set a page on fire and leave nothing but holy ash behind). Too many of the introductory sections have this faded, trudging-toward-M.A. feel, which is too bad, since the overall selection of poems (setting aside the overrepresentation of dead white European males) is pretty darned good, and you've gotta know that these two editors do have more salsa on their burritoes than they're admitting to in this book.

A very usefull text for any level of student from Middle School to Phd- clear explanations of terms and traditions followed by excellent, provocative examples and follow up questions make the book work in the classroom (and as a means to teach yourself) what you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

This book offers a great collection of poetry and background information on many poets. Walks through poetry lingo with the reader, great educational source for teachers of literature!!

Maybe I shouldn't have even used the term "textbook". After all that word generally connotes a book that is tedious, dry and full of obscure jargon. This is a different book, however. It is indeed a sprightly introduction to poetry that informs and entertains. It has sections on Irony, Tone, Words, Metaphors, Sound, Rhythm, Form, Symbol, Myth, and Narrative, just to mention a few.

The discussion of each topic is illustrated by the provision of relevant poems. The poems are generally analyzed, and the reader is asked pertinent questions about them. I can't praise the authors enough for their choice of poems. Most are relatively brief works, but they are excellent examples of the topic at hand.

What could be a better poem exemplifying Irony than this little classic deploring child labor written by Sarah N. Cleghorn in 1917:

The golf links lie so near the mill/That almost every day/The laboring children can look out/ And see the men at play.

There are many other goodies in this book:

1. A chapter that provides poems and brief critical essays on the works of Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson.
2. A section that provides brief but informative biographies of many of the poets represented in the book.
3. A large chapter of more poems for reading and enjoying. These are very accomplished poems that are generally very accessible to the general reader.
4. A section on literary criticism. Yes, I know that is a dreaded term, but the authors do a good job of clearly presenting the material -even when deconstructionism is the topic- and provide brief extracts from noted literary critics.
5. At the end of the book is a convenient glossary of literary terms.
6. For those who become enthused about writing poetry there is a chapter covering this topic.

There are other introductory books on the market (such as "The Poetry Reader's Toolkit", by Marc Polonsky, and the venerable "Understanding Poetry" by Cleanth Brooks), but this is a truly astounding work. It's a big book of over 700 pages that is guaranteed to make any reader a poetry lover..

This was a wonderful book, very easy to read, and including hundreds of poems of all eras and genres... it provides a good education on poetic forms and ideas, with each chapter including many examples of the topic being discussed... and at the end there is a huge anthology of poems, many of which were new to me, which made it a real bonus.

New Formalist poet/critic Dana Gioia is known for his ground-breaking essay, "Can Poetry Matter?" This is his third book of poetry, and it is unlike anything produced by anyone else in America. Sicilian, Mexican and Native American in his ancestry, Gioia writes out of a "dark" Catholic sensibility--a sensibility which sees "the end of the world" in every sensuous detail around him. One of the advantages of Gioia's "formalism" is that it allows him to place deep personal experience within a form which, while deeply moving, simultaneously allows the reader to maintain a sense of esthetic distance. This tension between technical virtuosity and dark subject matter is reminiscent of the great nineteenth-century French poet, Charles Baudelaire--a Bohemian type who in other ways might be seen as Gioia's opposite. Full of strong poems by this native California--the strongest is probably "A California Requiem"--"Interrogations at Noon" is a fine introduction to one of the most thoughtful and original of American writers. Full of exquisite, mournful lines: "Think of the letters that we write our dead"; "We are like shadows the bright noon erases."

In my continuing (impossible) search for a poet whose every poem moves me, I read this collection by Dana Gioia. Gioia is known as a craftsman who publishes little because of his struggle bring every poem to the highest state of perfection. In fact, as one reads these poems, it is almost possible to sense how carefully every word has been chosen. In some cases, this almost becomes distracting, to the detriment of the poetry.

On the other hand, through his struggle Gioia is able to create some brilliant lines within poems whose overall effect is something less: "With eyes that have forgotten how to see/From viewing things already too well-known" from "Entrance." Or "The future shrinks/Whether the past/Is well or badly spent" from "Curriculum Vitae." Within poems like "Pentecost" and "Three Songs for Nosferatu" it is possible to find some wonderful work as well.

In this collection, however, there are two poems that I think are wonderful through and through. In "Juno Plots Her Revenge" Gioia takes us on a long rant as Juno lists her complaints against Jupiter's unfaithfulness and plans her final revenge against Hercules, one of Jupiter's bastards. Poems with classical references are often fun because the poet is able to let his hair down and be bold using a mythological goddess as a mouthpiece. There is more energy and engaging language in this longer poem than in almost all of Gioia's other poems put together. Wonderful!

But my favorite poem in this collection may be "My Dead Lover." In it, Gioia writes of a person mourning a great love ("Your body was the first I ever knew/Better than my own.") with whom he really didn't get along ("How miserable we were together, dear"). And yet he mourns anyway despite the fact that he was abandoned in this final way, without being allowed a chance to regret. Finally, he realizes "Our rituals are never for the dead." The dead are beyond caring but he must still make his peace with it. It is a very well done poem to which most of us can relate.

All in all, this is a collection well worth reading. There is no denying that Gioia is a real craftsman, no matter how one may ultimately feel about some of the poems. And there are some gems here that a poetry connoisseur should be loathe to miss.

Gioia's latest collection is just as great as his first. He continues to show a wide range of skills (this time adding poems for music, including three songs from his wonderful libretto _Nosferatu_). The longer poem in the middle, Juno Plots Her Revenge, is a beautiful working of Seneca.

Dana Gioia is a poet and critic of international note who has authored a profusion of essays, reviews, translations, and anthologies. Now his own poetry is available to an appreciative public with the publication of Interrogations At Noon. Divination: Always be ready for the unexpected./Someone you have dreamed about may visit./Better clean house to make the right impression./There are some things you should not think about.//Someone you have dreamed about may visit./Is it an old friend you do not recognize?/There are some things you should not think about./Who is the stranger standing at the door?//Is it an old friend you do not recognize?/Notice the cool appraisal of his eyes./Who is the stranger standing at the door?/You sometimes wonder what you're waiting for.//Notice the cool appraisal of his eyes./Better clean house to make the right impression./You sometimes wonder what you're waiting for./Always be ready for the unexpected.

The first review of this textbook is extremely misleading. This is THE most popular textbook in the country for Introduction to Literature courses. While the Norton is certainly popular too, it is not the "standard." Furthermore, the literature examples in the book are copious, varied and extremely well chosen. All periods and types of the genres are represented, and the headnotes are generous and well-written. The emphasis on writing is quite welcome, since in most Introduction to Literature courses the ultimate goal is for students to be able to write mature critical essays about what they're reading. The previous reviewer reveals his or her bias with the sneer about the book seeming to come from a "bygone era." By that I think the reviewer means that the book does not particularly emphasize late 20th century and 21st century authors and theoretical approaches. It does not ignore them, but it also doesn't emphasize them. I think the reason for that is that the book is an INTRODUCTION--not all first-year college students have the background to cope with the extremely abstract. Many of them have never before seriously read a poem. That's a sad comment on American high schools, but there it is. For most college Intro to Lit classes, this book is the best choice.

If you are an instructor interested in using this for your class, it is pretty good, though a bit on the conservative side. If you are a general reader or a student, you may very well like it, but the Norton series of anthologies are the standards. No anthology can do it all, but this one includes good critical sections on genres and basic approaches, as well as a little of everything: English, American, Minority, and World lit. It has pretty strong African American selections and a decent slice of classics. It has a handfull of selections from Latino writers. My main complaint is that it's pretty weak on Asian American writers and Native American writers. While it has a few of them, they tend to be pretty marginal. It works well for a class that functions as both composition and intro to lit. Unfortunately, some of the choices seem to come from a bygone era.

Literature textbooks like these are quite worth the price that you're paying for. First, it lacks the visual colorful photos of another textbooks and focuses in on literature. I am glad to see Philip Roth's story, Conversion of the Jews, to be included in the short story section. Primarily because Roth writes novels, his short stories are few. he should be in the anthologies because he is one of America's foremost writers and most American particularly New Jerseyans don't know who he is. In 2005, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Anyway, I picked this book up at a yard sale. This book is filled with tremendous assortment of authors, writers, and poets like Somerset Maugham, John Updike, James Thurber, William Faulkner, Katherine Mansfield, Toni Cade Bambara, Edgar Allen Poe, Katherine Anne Porter, Jamaica Kincaid, Margaret Atwood, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Kate Chopin, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Anne Tyler, Stephen Crane, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., John Steinbeck, Shirley Jackson, Alice Munro, Leo Tolstoi, Raymond Carver, Anton Chekhov, Flannery O'Connor, Ambrose Bierce, Jorge Luis Borges, Willa Cather, Langston Hughes, Franz Kafka, D.H. Lawrence, Joyce Carol Oates, Frank O'Connor, Tillie Olsen, Edith Wharton, William Carlos Williams, Charlotte Bronte, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, William Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, Thoeodore Roethke, Countee Cullen, Anne Bradstreet, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, John Milton, William Wordsworth, W.H. Auden, John Betjeman, Thomas Hardy, JOnathan Swift, William Blake, Robert Grave, John Donne, Herman Melville, Wole Soyinka, Lewis Carroll, Wallace Stevens, E.E. Cummings, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, Elizabeth Bishop, Oscar Wilde, Jean Toomer, John Keats, Walt Whitman, H.D., Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Denise Levertov, John Ashbery, Ben Jonson, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Paul Simon, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Aphra Behn, A.E. Housman, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Alexander Pope, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Olson, Louise Bogan, Anne Sexton, and so many countless other authors, writers, poets, playwrights, etc. that makes this book nearly perfect for a classroom without all the notes and nonsense that clutter some textbooks.

The Kennedy Anthology is a decent dependable sampler. I studied from it as an undergraduate and I now use it, as a grad student, to teach introductory lit classes (supplementing it, of course, with outside material)

I'm suprised, however, at the reviewer's comments above. Yes, Kennedy includes rock songs in the poetry section, but claims dismissing their inclusion are faulty for two reasons. 1)Rock lyrics, whether you're fond of them or not, do qualify as poetry (they are verse, after all and whether or not rock and roll lyrics stand as "good" poetry is a completely separate issue) and 2)Despite the fact that popular lyrics are included in the poetry section, the canonical giants are still well-represented (no need to fret, Whitman hasn't gone anywhere). In other words, if you dislike the rock lyrics, well, simply don't teach them.

More importantly, in a field as diverse and (usually) liberal as literature, I'm shocked that people still complain about multiculturalism and international literature "taking away" from established great texts. Isn't this PC debate over? Haven't we all now simply accepted the fact that including diverse texts isn't a PC issue but rather an issue of good old common sense? Does anyone really still question the validity of marginalized (yet talented) voices being heard? Hasn't liberal humanism (at least in its problematic manifestations) been successfully deconstructed? Frankly, I'm frightened to think how there are English instructors out there actually arguing AGAINST diversity. Then again, I'm also incredibly naive.

Lastly, I like lit textbooks that include examples of student essays. I employ a workshop method in my class and my students and I look at a variety of essays throughout the term--from established professionals, from students, and from me. Students are too often bombarded with "professional" examples of what they are expected to produce. Why not include examples of reasonable essays that are more or less within their rhetorical reach?

A very nice textbook, with a broad selection of literature, thought-provoking questions on each selection, short author bios, discussions of literature-related concepts, and even some pictures of authors. By tackling fiction, poetry, and drama all, the book has a very comprehensive and broad approach. A specialist in any of these three areas might look elsewhere for a more focused approach to their field; for a far-ranging english literature, class, the book is very solid.

... First of all, it is massive and contains three books in one - fiction, poetry and drama. Each section includes a plethora of selections as well as longer works (like the full length plays of Hamlet and Macbeth). So one is really getting quite a library from this one book.

Even better, the sections are organized along themes in order to teach the student (or interested reader) how to appreciate the various forms. So the poetry section has sections on sound, figures of speech, rhythm, closed and open form, etc. I suppose this comes from it being a textbook for undergraduate courses - in any case, it pays off. I've learned a tremendous amount already. It's all in very easy to understand non-technical language, too.

At the end of the book, there is even a brief section on various forms of literary criticism. The book contains numerous student essays, brief author biographies, reflections by the authors on their own works (this is really great), and it reflects a really broad range of genres and time periods (unfortunately the section on haiku is plagued by bad translations, and there aren't enough examples of Chinese and other Japanese poetry... oh well!). There is also an emphasis on getting the reader to practice (and write for him or herself) what is being taught. So if you want to be a writer, this is great.

If you're a beginner interested in getting into literature, this is really a great way to do it. Don't be put off by the massiveness of this book - it's really a resource. Just start in one small place (I started in 'poetry') and work your way around. It will definitely increase your appreciation for literature.

I wrote to complain about the 7th edition of this standard anthology because the editors had removed one of the world's truly great short stories, Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych," from the volume. I must now eat my words because the editors have replaced that work; I am pleased to say that I once again endorse and use the work. I wrote about the 7th edition; the Tolstoy restoration, I think, occurred in the 8th edition. I am writing now about the 9th edition, which is certainly strong and useful; I know the editors shouldn't try to please everyone.

I do not, however, retract my comments about the use of pop songs to teach poetry; I think the section on "pop" is a major flaw in the work. One person complained (in this space) about my wanting to restore Tolstoy to the textbook--from his comments, I gathered that the person thought Tolstoy (1828-1910) was an American writer, rather than Russian; he kept speaking about "multiculturalism" and "international literature" as though Tolstoy did not represent a "diverse culture." Frankly I think that all the currently popular songs (rap or rock or something else) represent a perverse culture rather than a diverse culture. The same person implied his disgust at "humanism" and "liberalism," labels that I would be proud to wear.

It does matter what is included in a textbook for introducing literature at the college level. I think the current edition of Kennedy and Gioia is a good, solid work. (And if someone is incapable of distinguishing between "poetry" and "verse," I have nothing further to say.) The student essays remain, but I will not quarrel with that. But let me see: if I were a carpenter and teaching students to build a house, would I show them examples of dilapidated, poorly-constructed ones because that is the extent of their current ability, or would I show them a house that was constructed by professionals?

Contains reproductions of original manuscripts, about one page each, of a wide range of well known authors. Nicely bound and wrapped, a good gift especially for aspiring authors or people very involved in literature.

I bought the book, and interesting as it is, I'm just not sure what it's worth to me as a lover of literature and as a writer. I like seeing some of the original manuscripts, the various pictures, and such, but that really didn't enlighten me to anything. Yes, there is a small biographical introduction to each writer, but it's so short as to be almost pointless. This is the kind of book you check out of the library, not buy. I don't want anyone to think it's not a good collection. It is. But I can't in any good faith recommend someone spending this much money on something that really doesn't bring to light anything new or special about any one of these writers. It's just...well, it's just neat. If you want something special, then look elsewhere. If you just like spending money on neat books, then maybe this is for you.

this was a nicely done book that helps show you the importance of the poet's original manuscript. all poets and poetry lovers should pick this one up.

There is something magical about seeing well known and loved poems in the poet's own hand... this book provides an interesting insight into the works of a good number of well-known poets. A must-have for those who read poetry with more than just a passing interest, this book is also a good starting point for biographical information. Nice photographs, and, when necessary, captions transcribing the poets' sometimes illegible handwriting make this book a gem. Perfect for browsing.

This book is based on an 1996 exhibit in the New York Public Library which featured original material from one hundred poets, covering centuries of work, including poets as diverse as John Donne and Allen Ginsberg. Part of the appeal of the exhibit was seeing the actual original manuscripts, jotted notes, and correspondence right in front of you, and in that regard, the book can not live up. It is, nonetheless, excellent in its scope and interesting in its reproductions of the material from the exhibit. It would be particularly appealing to students or enthusiasts of poetry, that is, those with a prior background knowledge of the poets included. It would be of less value to someone looking for an introduction to poetry. I did thoroughly enjoy both the exhibit and the book and do strongly recommend it to any poetry enthusiast.

The title essay wasn't the best thing about this book on matters poetical, in my view. Whether poetry does matter or whether poetry can matter are two different questions, but Dana Gioia treats these two as one and the same and, in the end, doesn't answer it, except incompletely. Yes, poetry CAN make your life happy . . . . he weakly suggests at the end of the piece.

The essay on Robert Bly (the "successful poet") was stunningly vicious and blessedly beautiful at the same time: highly insightful.

The two separate essays on Weldon Kees and Robinson Jeffers ("Strong Counsel") were perfection in analysis and appreciation of these poets' works (except for one mistake: the author is wrong in stating that Robinson Jeffers never won any award in his lifetime. Mr. Jeffers won many awards - seven that I know of. Mr. Jeffers was not partial, however, to receiving awards, and he wrote a poem about how one should avoid all publicity.).

I felt deep gratitude as well for one essay entitled "Short Views" in which the reader is teased with the pleasures to be found in the poetry of Tom Disch (now deceased as of July 4, 2008 by suicide), Radcliffe Squires, and Theodore Weiss.

The essay "Business and Poetry" never answers the question why poets do not write about business in their poems, though the author gives hints feints here and there.

Ted Kooser was pleasingly and carefully examined as a minor regional poet.

Two essays devoted to the New Formalism did not themselves contain any major ideas to blow one away with insight or appreciation particularly. They merely do the job of showing that it exists on the contemporary scene, and Dana Gioia himself is a practitioner (though he carefully omits to say).

No mention either is ever made of Stephen Dunn or James Wright in any of these essays. I can only wonder why Dana Gioia mentioned other poets less well-known than these two men. But he does not even mention Cavafy, and Dana Gioia published a poem referencing this poet's name in the title. It may be simply the author could not include these poets in these essays out of an embarrassment of riches.

These essays are seriously worth your time.

DOES POETRY MATTER? YES! Yes! Yes! Without poetry, I may have ended up like Plath, Sexton, Woolf, or who the hell knows! Poetry nutured me, comforted me, fed me, loved me......the flowing words of Oliver, Gluck, Lee, Keats, and yes, Sylvia Plath's gorgeous confessional poetry-- entered my mind and body like a medicine of vowels, syllables, metaphor, and music.

Dana Gioia's book "Does Poetry Matter," was an eye opener.
"People who support the arts, who attend foreign films and serious
theater, opera, symphony, and dance; who read quality fiction
and biographies,; who listen to public radio and subscibe to the
best jounals. (They are the parents who read poetry to their
children and remember, once upon a time in college or high
school or kindergarten, liking it themselves.) No one knows
the size of this community, but even if on acceps the con-
servative estimate that it accounts for only TWO PERCENT of the
United States."---CAN POETRY MATTER?

This blew my socks off! I realized I was in the minority, but this is completely unbelievable. Is poetry really dead? If so, I am mourning her exisistence. "In a better world, poetry would need no justification beyond the sheer splendor of its own existence."

Does Poetry Matter? Yes! But we need to make poetry available to everybody, not only the intellectual, rich, and culturally fortunate---We need to make the words mean something for everybody, everywhere. Dana Gioia continues speaking of the intellectual community as though they are the the chosen few; the saviors of lost verse; the people who can resurrect the promised land...

But isn't this the reason poety has died in the first place?--because the aloofness of the so-called "True Poet" will not allow anybody else inside their worlds; that being the world of intellectualism and academia.

They say that poetry is dead. I don't believe it! I wont believe it! But if Gioia thinks that the only people who can possibly appreciate poetry are the literary intellectuals, he is dead wrong. Gioia says, "These conventions may once have made sense, but today they imprison poetry in an intellectual ghetto."

THE GHETTO!!---Yes!! a perfect place to begin displaying the words of Li-Young Lee, E.E. Cummings, Anne Sexton, Robert Bly, etc...
Lets get out there--and change the world for everybody with words, color, metaphor, similie, rhythum... I don't give a damn if they can interpet it or understand it---Just read it! Love it! Appreciate it! And allow the vocabulary to pour through your body like liquid music!

The Kirkus review of "Can Poetry Matter?" is pretty much right on target. The opening essays of the book are a necessary (and necessarily condemnatory) critique on the current state of poetry in America. The articles on Kees, Jeffers, etc., are less impressive, and the review reprints which end the book are even less so. Still, the strength of the first few essays outweighs these drawbacks.

The title essay in this book is by far the most important. It's well worth at least checking this book out from a library just to read that first essay. As a poet in an MFA program, I am currently experiencing the severance from the rest of society and alienation from literary criticism that Gioia describes so well. He's right on target. I'm not sure about some of his prescriptions for moving poetry back into public interest (i.e. reading from the work of other poets at one of your own readings), but the fact that he is able to articulate poetry's problems so well should at least get writers thinking about our own solutions. Incidentally, the rest of the essays do decline in quality through the course of the book, but I nevertheless found the final essay on New Formalism worthwhile. I actually didn't know much about the movement other than some mildly disparaging remarks made by various professors during workshop, so Gioia's perspective was refreshing.